I have cut aluminum with my table saw and with a jigsaw in the past to make an insert for my TS.

But I have four big sweeping curves to cut, ~16” radius, about 24” long and the TS doesn’t like curves and the jigsaw’s blade tends to gum up with aluminum. I know with a metal cutting blade and slow speed a band saw will cut steel. But all I have is one speed and a wood blade.

-- Michael: Hillary has a long list of accomplishments, though most DAs would refer to them as felonies.

4 replies so far

I’ve never cut aluminum with my bandsaw so I am only guessing and/or using my intuition. I would expect that you can cut 1/8th inch aluminum with a small band saw. I think you will need to go slow and I expect this will accelerate the dulling of your blade. My intuition tells me that you should use a blade with a high tooth per inch count – but I don’t really know why I think that.

I’ve cut lots of aluminum with my 10 dewalt miter saw. It’s pretty soft stuff. Not much harder than cutting a hard wood like maple actually. Get a fine tooth blade. I don’t see why a bandsaw blade for metal cutting bandsaws wouldn’t spin on the wheels any differently. Never tried it of course. I wouldn’t worry about the speed. Just might have to trash the blade after the job is done.

-- The smell of wood, coffee in the cup, the wife let's me do my thing, the lake is peaceful.

Yes it will work. I done it with a cheap blade from Home Depot and it worked just fine. When I was done the blade was pretty much toast but for $10 it was worth it. But for the best cut use a blade for metal cutting.

You’ll wreck the blade. The speed on a woodworking bandsaw istoo fast and the blade will lose temper.

I fussed around a while back cutting 1/8” aluminum with a jigsaw(my festool wasn’t handy and the jigsaw I was using was a dog)and it would not cut to the line well at all. In frustration I brokeout a reciprocating saw and it tore through that aluminum verywell indeed. The radius of the cut was about 9” and the sawzallblade maybe 9/16” wide. It handled the curve just fine.